Lauderhill Child Pulled From Backyard Pool Unresponsive

LAUDERHILL (CBS4) - Police in Lauderhill are investigating how a 1-year-old child wound up floating in his family's backyard pool.

Lauderhill Police Department says that the child -- a boy -- remains in critical condition in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Plantation General Hospital. Investigators tell CBS 4 News the child is breathing on his own and has a strong heartbeat.

Investigators tell me that what unfolded inside the home in the 54 hundred block of NW 14 Place Monday evening around 7 o'clock  appears to be an accident.

Investigators say a one year old child, playing with his two older siblings, somehow got outside and fell into the family pool. Neighbors are shaken up by the news.

"Good people," said neighbor Mike Cool. "It's just tough right now. I'm at a loss for words."

Police spoke to residents of the home. Investigators say three adults were inside with the three children when the one year old got outside. At this point police say the child may have been in the water for up to 15 minutes. Police say the child did not have a pulse when paramedics loaded him into an ambulance but that changed at the hospital.

"Shortly after the child arrived, they were able to get what they call a Hope Pulse which is a very, very faint pulse and they've been working that child ever since," said Lt. Greg Solowsky.

There are prayers aplenty in the family's neighborhood that this little boy will survive.

"We need to learn from this," said Mike Cool. "It's just a sad incident."

Authorities say these tragedies are often preventable. Police recommend that parents or caregivers supervise children at all times near water, put up a pool fence and alarms and teach your children water safety skills.